Chapter 20: The Winter Moon

Edmund lunged, and I moved.

The wolf in me did not ask permission.

I crossed the floor in a white blur and hit his knife arm with my full weight.

The silver blade spun out of his hand.

It rang on the flagstones and slid under the front bench.

Edmund went down on his back with a grunt, and the cane clattered away.

I stood over him with my paws on his chest.

I did not bite.

I only held him there, and let him see my face.

His eyes were pale and wet.

There was no wolf in them to fight me.

There was only an old man pinned to a cold floor in front of his pack.

"Get it off me," he rasped. "Torin. Get it off."

Torin was beside us already.

He did not pull me away.

He picked up the cane.

He took the silver knife from under the bench with a handkerchief round his fingers.

He laid both on the Council table.

"You tried to kill me in front of two hundred people," he said, very quietly.

"I tried to save your seat."

"You tried to kill me, Father."

Edmund shut his eyes.

I stepped back, and the change took me again.

Bettina was there at once, holding her apron wide to hide me.

I pulled my cardigan on in the shelter of it and came out with my hair in my face.

Nobody laughed. Nobody said a thing.

The old elder had stood from his chair.

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